It’s been a while since I posted so I figured it would be a good time to talk about DA 4. After all, it’s already been more than 3 years since Inquisition was released and many of us are looking forward to the next release.

Neither EA nor Bioware has made an official announcement about Dragon Age 4, but we do know they are working on a Dragon Age project. Indeed, according to lead designer Mike Laidlaw they already have plans for two Dragon Age games after Inquisition, and we also know they’ve hired a writer in 2016 to work on a new DA project. Furthermore, Mark Darrah – the executive producer for DA – has confirmed that DA 4 is currently under development.

In addition, we also know the game will feature something called “Live Elements”, which was explained as a continuation of the storyline after the main story is finished. This will likely be some sort of online feature.

Release date? No official word but I think 2020 sounds reasonable, considering that most major games are officially announced about 1 year before they are released. This would mean an announcement from Bioware in late 2018 to early 2019.

As for the setting, it seems likely that the game will take place in the Tevinter Imperium because the final shot of Inquisition’s Tresspasser DLC suggests as much. This also makes sense because it is one part of the Dragon Age world that’s been talked about for a while but never visited.

The final shot of DA: I’s Trespasser DLC places a marker over the Imperium, suggesting it is the next place the DA franchise we will visit.

And if the setting is still unclear, then details of the plot are even more so. I’d like to think that Solas will continue to play a big role in the series after the big revelations about him in Trespasser. Dorian – the Tevinter mage companion in Inquisition – should almost certainly be present as well, especially considering the last news we heard is that he returned home.

It’s also likely that the Qunari will play a bigger role, given their involvement in Trespasser and the fact that the Tevinter have been warring with them for centuries. Outside of that, however, all we can do is guess. I’m just happy they hired a writer known for his strong storytelling, because characters and story have always been the strong point of Dragon Age.

Thanks to Malcolm AKA Dorian of House None of Your Business for the build!

Hey everyone, hope you’re enjoying the new year. I’ve got a new mage build to talk about today – the Elemental Mage. This build is similar to the “Jack of All Trades” in that it doesn’t take any specialization skills and gives you many options. With 2 spells from every tree you can deal with almost any situation and enemies with specific resistances.

With access to 4 different spell schools, this build has high damage and also allows you to support at the same time with barrier and revival. In particular, you have high AOE damage and control because all your skills are AOE, and good mobility and mana regen with upgraded Fade Step. And because you don’t need any specialization skills, you can use this build on any one of your mages.

Given that this build takes skills in all 4 mage trees, you have a lot of choice on what to level first and there’s no clearcut “best” way. Generally speaking though, I would always start with barrier and then grab the Inferno skills to get upgraded Fire Mine ASAP to boost your damage.

After this you can finish your Spirit skills and pick up revival so you don’t have to worry about keeping the party alive. Then you can choose to get either the Storm or Winter skills first, depending on preference. Upgraded Fade Step in particular can be picked up whenever you start having mana issues, and Ice Mine is great if you feel like you’re lacking in CC.

Note: If you’re playing this build on your Inquisitor, I’d use Mark of the Rift instead of Chain Lightning

Gameplay:

Keep barrier up at all times

Prioritize using Fire Mine first, since it is your biggest damage spell. Keep in mind you need to get in close range to make use of the Flaming Array upgrade

Use Fade Step as a way of generating mana – the more targets you fade through, the more mana you restore

Use Ice Mine whenever you need reliable CC. You can also use this to generate skill combos, like Ice Mine -> Immolate

Use Lightning Cage when 3+ enemies are close together

Immolate is used mostly to generate skill combos, and when other skills are on cooldown

Use Chain Lightning as a filler DPS spell

Revival with the Desperation upgrade is AMAZING for damage. Use it whenever 2 or more party members have fallen near each other

I know I’m late to the party, but I wanted to give my thoughts on the Trespasser DLC. This is the first time since the release of Inquisition that I felt completely immersed in the game again. As some other reviewers have said, this DLC should have really been a part of the released game as it does an excellent job of closing up DA: I’s story. (more…)

Hey guys, just letting you know I will be updating all the builds and item guides in the coming week to reflect the changes introduced in the recent patch, as well as the Trespasser DLC. As always, if you have any build ideas or suggestions let me know!

Hey guys, just wanted to let you know I’ve added content toggles on the builds pages. That should help a lot with loading and navigating the builds. If you have any feedback on this change please let me know by commenting on this post. Thanks, and enjoy the Trespasser DLC 🙂